By Your Side
by GLyNchaN
Summary: [AU] Natsume & Mikan are childhood bestfriends. He constantly flirts with girls and she’s used to it… but when it’s the other way around, it bothers the hell out of him…and Prom’s coming up too… How will things work out? NXM Rated T for the language
1. Chapter 1

Title: BY YOUR SIDE

**Title: BY YOUR SIDE**

Summary : (AU) Natsume & Mikan are childhood bestfriends. He constantly flirts with girls and she's used to it… but when it's the other way around, it bothers the hell out of him…and Prom's coming up too… How will things work out? (NXM) **Rated T for the Language**

Genre: Romance/General

**GlyNchaN**:

Okay, okay! I know I shouldn't have made another fic since I haven't finished Seven Days of Bad Luck… but hey, I just want to get this out of my system…

Hope you like it!

Anyway, **rated T for the language**… lots of curses here… I'm warning you.

I only made it short coz I'm just trying this story out… kinda like a trial version…

_Edited:_

_I just edited a few phrases…haha! I read it again and saw the mess I made… thanks for _panda-ppl_ for pointing it out to me.. Although I don't know if it makes any difference… I tried though… Sorry for the mistakes… _

_Oh yeah… I'll give you guys a head start… The chapters in the fic are gonna be in POV's… Mikan's POV then Natsume's POV alternately…So next chapter will be in Natsume's POV then back again.. so on and so forth…_

**DISCLAIMER : I don't own Gakuen Alice or any of the characters. All rights belong to Higuchi Tachibana.**

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CHAPTER ONE

Mikan's POV

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'Where the hell is he?!' My mind screamed as I pressed by back against the wall. Students flooded the hallways after the bell rang. I'm supposed to be getting to my next class if it weren't for a certain raven haired boy. He borrowed my book in Calculus and now he's nowhere to be seen. Jinno-sensei's gonna throw a fit if I don't bring my book to class. I glanced at my watch to check the time. Damn… five minutes after the bell.

Students began to enter the rooms one by one. Finally, the hallways were deserted and I felt like an idiot, waiting for that creep to show up. My eyes widened with surprise as my gaze fell upon the couple on the corner. I felt my blood boiled at the sight. Not wasting any time, I stormed at their direction.

"Wow! So the red Ferrari outside is really yours?" The blonde started giggling in an annoying matter. I wondered if Natsume was annoyed too…

"Tsk. I had that for like a month now." He shrugged. How does he manage to snag girls in this manner? This wasn't flirting… this was boasting.

"You're really something."

"I know." _Cocky Bastard._

"So are you free tonight?" Her high pitched voice started to hurt my ears.

I felt sick upon hearing them talk. Having those fan girls of his really went to his head. It's really surprising how we even became friends.

"Natsume! Didn't you know how long I waited for you?" I cried out but not too loud since I didn't want to end up in detention. "Where's my book?" He glanced at me and tilted his head towards his bag then continued to talk to the girl, completely ignoring my raged self who stood beside them.

He continued flirting with the _blondie_ in front of him. I took a deep breath hoping to control myself from punching his face. 'To hell with it!' I began to fumble his bag to find where my book was. It would take me hours if I had to argue with him.

Natsume was used to my antics and went on with his so-called conversation with the blonde airhead. That meant he didn't want to be disturbed. Too bad the girl didn't know how to deal with him… since I saw her glaring at me. She should've just ignored me like he did.

"Umm… excuse me? Can you please get you butt out of here? Can't you see we're having a conversation?" The blonde snapped at me. I simply rolled my eyes and continued to fumble his bag. "Hey! Don't you dare ignore me." She continued on. I glanced at Natsume and saw how his mood changed.

"I asked you a question. Well?" Natsume said monotonously. I could sense the change in his tone as he was now staring at the girl with his eyebrow slightly raised. He asked the girl what time she wanted him to pick her up. Making him wait for an answer was a wrong move.

"Sorry. I didn't quite get it. It's just that this annoying bitch-" The girl went on to rant about me disturbing them. Blaming me wasn't a good idea either.

Natsume's eyebrow arched higher. How I hate getting in between situations like this. I finally saw my book under the piles of trash in his bag and pulled it out. Since I didn't want to stay any longer, "I found it. See ya later." I told him as I made a quick getaway. Unfortunately, Natsume grabbed my wrist stopping me from going anywhere. 'Oh, great.' I thought to myself.

"C'mon, I'll walk you to class. I have a free period right now." Natsume turned his back on the girl and dragged me away. I took a quick glimpse at her and saw how dumbfounded she was.

"Natsume! Where are you going?" The girl called out behind his back but he simply ignored her and continued to drag me away. "Damn it!" She cursed and stomped to the other direction.

I pulled my hand away and glared at him. "Great, now I'm sure that girl will hold a grudge against me!" I started to walk to class with him tailing behind me.

"That's stupid."

"No it's not. It's called common sense." I enunciated clearly with a hint of sarcasm. "The girl was aimlessly flirting at you and I pass by-"

"Acting like a complete idiot…" He said before I could finish what I was saying.

"Shut up. Anyway, she thinks I interrupted you both and now probably blames me for everything!" I yelled at him. I took a glance and saw him roll his eyes. How typical.

"Well done, Sherlock. What do you think will happen next? She'll follow you home and attack you at the moment you're most vulnerable?"

"Yeesh. Let's just drop it." I added, "Just do me a favor and give that girl a chance."

"Hell no." He answered bluntly. "Seeing her react like that and call you a bitch? I'd rather not." He shrugged and paced up. I ran up to catch him.

"How come??" I asked. "She seems nice." I scoffed at him, hiding a laugh.

"Whatever." He said and shook his head.

We both stopped our tracks as we saw Jinno-sensei waiting by the door of my classroom. "Nice knowing you." I heard Natsume whisper to me. Some friend. His remark made me even more nervous.

I felt a lump on my throat as Jinno-sensei gazed at me. Beads of sweat began to form on my forehead. Seeing him narrow his eyes, I'm pretty sure he's not in high spirits today.

'It looks like he was waiting for me… Crap!' I cursed under my breath. I instantly wore my innocent girl façade and smiled brightly. "Good Morning, Sir. I'm so sorry I'm a bit late."

"Not gonna work Miss Sakura." Jinno-sensei said as his eyebrow twitched. I glanced up at Natsume, pleading for help and I saw him smirk at me.

"At least she brought her book?" Natsume told Jinno-sensei. I restrained myself from kicking him. He snickered and turned around still wearing that annoying smirk of his. "See you at lunch… Or what's left of you."

'Damn you, Hyuga.' I silently cursed him as he went on his way. This is definitely a bad day. I slowly looked at Jinno-sensei's face and hoped that I'd live to see tomorrow. I sighed heavily. "Let's just get on with it, sir." I said weakly admitting my defeat.

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Fortunately, I only got two days worth of detention. I couldn't believe what happened a while ago. I was so scared that he might eat me alive. Seriously, that gaze of his sent chills down my spine… and I still feel it even right now.

I looked around looking for that jerk. 'Don't tell me he's flirting again.' I scanned the room for a certain raven haired boy who is usually followed by a pack of mindless fangirls. 'Where is he?!' I grumbled and went to the lunch line. I decided not to wait for him.

"Hi, Mikan!" Koko greeted as he went behind me on the line. "You look like you're having a bad day. Hyuga managed to get you into trouble?" I smiled at his remark. Koko and I go way back in elementary. You could say he's a close friend of mine.

"I'd be lying if I said no. I was late for Calculus because of him." I complained. My face became a little gloomy. "I got two days worth of detention."

"Jinno-sensei?" He guessed with a smile.

"How'd you know?" Koko had a knack for knowing what's on my mind. Am I really that easy to read? He only replied with a chuckle.

We took our food and sat on an empty table. I noticed how people would always come in pairs. Well, Koko and I aren't exactly a pair as in a couple, but I felt a little jealous. Trying to get the idea out of my mind, I decided to open a conversation with my friend.

"So, how are things going with Nonoko?" I asked. Koko's cheeks flushed at the mention of her name.

"No good. She's too infatuated with Misaki-sensei to even notice me."

"That sucks. How about asking her to the prom?" I suggested. The Prom was in a month from now. Everyone was trying to get dates already.

"What? And experience the pains of rejection? No way!" Koko took a bite from his slice of pizza.

"You won't know if you don't try. You'd better hurry if you don't want someone else to beat you to it."

"Like who?" He mumbled as he chewed on his food. His eyes suddenly looked serious as I was about to mention some guy's name.

"I dunno. Maybe Yuu?" I told him but he only snickered. He found Yuu asking a girl out, funny. "You'll never know." I said as I began to eat my lasagna.

"That's just plain silly. Anyway, if all else fails… wanna be my partner?" I almost choked on what Koko asked me. He gave me a silly smile and went back to his pizza.

"Are you serious?" I asked him in disbelief.

"Yeah. It looks like you'll be having a hard time finding a date-" Koko stopped as he noticed angry look on my face.

"What do you mean by that?" I felt my anger reach a dangerous level. Looks like spending too much time with Natsume made me like this.

"I don't know. You haven't been in a date once…" Koko started. I opened my mouth to protest but he cut me off. "You don't know any other guys besides than me, Natsume, Ruka and Yuu… and you can barely act normal around guys!"

"I do so!"

"Do not! You act like a kid and you're too clumsy for your own good."

"Am not!"

"Is too! And you're still wearing those childish pigtails…"

"Natsume thinks it's cute!" I told him. Koko raised his eyebrow. "Fine! He thinks it looks stupid but-"

"Case closed!" Koko stated and took a sip on his cola.

"No it's not!!" I protested. How can Koko tell me that I have zero chances in finding a date or even boyfriend? "Fine, you win… but don't forget that I have a playboy for a best friend. He can help me out anytime!"

Koko began to laugh. He was now annoying the hell out of me. "You forgot one thing. Natsume is a guy."

"So?"

"He only knows how to deal with girls… which is sadly not your case."

"Great…" I leaned my chin on the table. My stupid classmate had a point. I cracked my head for more ideas but none came out. I give up. "Koko, will you be my partner for the Prom?"

"Sure… but only as a reserve. You know, if we don't find any dates." Koko pointed out with a chuckle.

I felt sick to my stomach. "Am I such a sad case?" I asked him. Koko's eyes were focused on a figure behind me. I had a gut feeling who it was.

"Where were you?? I was looking for you everywhere!" Natsume yelled at me but I managed to cover my ears. I wasn't in the mood to chat after the revelation Koko gave me.

"Leave me alone." I said as I stood up and walked out on them.

"Don't worry Mikan! You still have me!" I heard Koko yell. I waved my hand as a reply. Natsume's face looked confused as he watched me walk away.

I went towards the courtyard and felt a soft breeze gush at me. This was really a bad day. Stupid Koko. Now I feel like hell. I took a glance behind me only to see Natsume heading my way. I felt he was worried. You know how he is, he always had his cold demeanor, and it was unnatural for him to look kind and concerned. His face barely reflected his feelings but I can always tell if he's worried or not.

"I'm fine." I lied to him. I can tell he wasn't buying it.

"You're a bad liar. Just spill it. What's wrong?"

I averted my gaze and sighed. "Natsume, can you help me find a boyfriend?" His eyebrow twitched a bit.

"For what?" His voice sounded surprised. We never did talk about me looking for a guy, let alone a boyfriend.

"I dunno… for the prom?" I walked towards an empty bench under the tree. Natsume followed me and he seemed angry.

"You need a boyfriend for the prom?" He asked disbelievingly. I could sense the irritation in his voice. I wondered what made him so worked up.

"Yes and no. I can't even find a date…" I exhaled heavily and sat down. He sat down beside me and stretched his legs.

"I can be your date if you want." He suggested. I know he's only trying to be nice but I won't be able to find a real date if this keeps up.

"No, it's alright. I know you have tons of girls lining up, wanting to be your date. I can just-"

"Is this what it's all about? They're just girls. You're you. They can wait."

"That won't convince Koko…"

"So it's Koko now? You seriously need to fix your stories, polkadots." I threw a glare at him. He always makes fun of me even if I'm down.

"Shut up with the polkadots. You know I hate it." I punched his shoulder playfully.

"Then why do you wear it?" He turned to me with that annoying smirk on his face. I ignored his remark and looked away showing that I was pissed at him. "Tell me from the beginning." He said softly.

I took a deep breath and looked at him with resolve. "Koko says I have zero chances of finding a date, let alone a boyfriend."

"And…?" Natsume leaned his head closer waiting for me to tell the rest of my story.

"That's it." I told him flatly.

He raised his eyebrow, desperately trying to hold his laughter which he successfully did so. "And you believed Koko?"

"Yeah. He told me I didn't know other men except you guys and I can barely act normal in front of them."

"So?"

"And he said I act like a kid and I'm clumsy."

"That's true…"

"And he even said I'm still wearing childish pig-tails!"

"That I agree with." He smirked at me.

"I feel so pathetic. I even asked him to be my partner for the pro-"

"You what??" Natsume's mood suddenly changed. The smirk on his face disappeared and he looked so annoyed. I don't even know why…

"But only as a reserved partner… you know, if we both don't get dates." I said looking closely at Natsume who was scratching his head out of frustration.

"And you told this to Koko first before telling me?" Annoyance was definitely evident in his voice. I nodded and made an awkward smile.

"I'm sure you'll be getting a date for the prom… So I didn't bother asking you."

"Fine. Be Koko's date for all I care." He shrugged and stood up. I made a puzzled look but he didn't seem to notice.

"I told you I don't want to be just a reserve. I don't want to be Koko's date." I explained. Maybe he thought that I wanted to be Koko's date.

Natsume let out an exasperated sigh and placed a hand on my shoulder. "If it makes you feel any better… Will you go to the prom with me?"

I slapped his hand away. "What? You think I'm that pathetic?" I never felt so mad at him for taking me lightly. "I don't need your pity!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" He raised his voice. We were practically screaming at each other now. "I was only asking you to the prom… what's the big idea??"

"I don't want to be anyone's second choice…" I told him weakly. "I'm sure you want to go out with some girl…"

"How many times do I have to repeat myself? Those girls can wait." I didn't answer back and turned away. "You are so stubborn." I heard him curse silently. "Alright. If you really don't want to go out with me, maybe I can fix you up with some guy or something."

"Really?" I suddenly faced him with my eyes lit up.

"But I don't approve of this. You can just do what you want. I give up."

"Thanks, Natsume!!" I said happily as I stood up and hugged him dearly. "You're the best!"

"Now will you please get off me?" I pulled away and gave him a big smile. For a minute there, I noticed a faint smile escaped from his lips.

"Thank you Natsume."

"I know I know." He rolled his eyes. "I'll try to talk to some guys… but don't rely too much on me."

"It's okay!" I clasped my hands together. "Wow! I can't believe this… my first date!"

"Oh, right. You haven't gone out with anyone except me."

"Yeah, can you believe that?" I told him as I skipped happily towards the building. I failed to notice that Natsume wasn't all too happy about it.

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TO BE CONTINUED…

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So how was it? Was it stupid? Haha... I've been dying for a fic like this.. but there were only few, so I decided to write this to satisfy my needs... Just wanna share the thoughts in my brain...

Why not take you time to review my work? That is much appreciated..


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: BY YOUR SIDE**

Summary : (AU) Natsume & Mikan are childhood bestfriends. He constantly flirts with girls and she's used to it… but when it's the other way around, it bothers the hell out of him…and Prom's coming up too… How will things work out? (NXM) **Rated T for the Language**

Genre: Romance/General

**GlyNchaN**:

Hi again! Wow, I wasn't expecting people to actually like that story since it was just a spur of the moment thing…

I'm telling you guys that I'm writing this for my own entertainment pleasure so this is just to satisfy my craving for a NXM fic… Hehe… Anyway, Thanks for those who reviewed my work!!!

I'm happy to share this story with you guys…

Sorry for the delay in the second chapter!

Oh right… If there are any mistakes... just tell me so I can edit it then we can all enjoy the story better..

Anyway,**rated T for the language**… lots of curses here… I'm warning you.

**DISCLAIMER : I don't own Gakuen Alice or any of the characters. All rights belong to Higuchi Tachibana.**

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CHAPTER TWO

Natsume's POV

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"That's not the right way to make a paper boat." A little girl in pigtails said in a-matter-of-fact tone. She took my paper and began folding it up in her 'proper' way. "It's like this…"

"Who said you could use my paper?" I pulled her annoying pigtails and she started to cry. 'What a crybaby.'

"NATSUME!" The teacher went straight at me and pinched my ear for picking on my classmate. "You shouldn't do that to a girl!"

"Ouch! Fine I won't do it anymore!" I promised her. She then scolded me but I ignored her and glanced at the bothersome girl who had a smug look on her face. 'What's with her?' The girl narrowed her eyes and was laughing silently. 'It was all an act?!' I gripped her hair again and tugged hard.

"We must all be nice to one another, treating each other as if we're brothers and sisters-" The girl's wailing interrupted what the teacher was saying and I noticed her anger flared up. "Natsume! Stop pulling her hair!"

"Well, this is how I treat my sister anyway." I told her cheekily, with the girl crying loudly in the background as I kept tugging her pigtails.

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"Damn it." I grumbled as the loud ringing woke me up from my dream. I could still remember how I used to pick on Mikan as I kid. But right now, I could care less about it… since I had to yell at the person who was calling me at this hour.

It was the brink of dawn. I could feel my eyes were glued shut. I had a hard time sleeping last night... although I couldn't remember why. I reached out to my mobile phone on my bedside table and placed it firmly to my ear. "Mikan, you'd better have a good reason for calling this early."

"Good Morning, Natsume!" The familiar shrill voice replied back. My head started to ache at the sound of her voice.

"You're the only one stupid enough to bother me this early in the morning." I said through a yawn and tried to shift myself to a better position. I hate it when she does this… I'm certainly in no mood to hear her babble about something trivial.

"Sorry about that... anyway, I'm too excited!" I heard her squeal like a pig. "I'm gonna fix myself up and I'm sure some guy will ask me out!"

My eyes instantly dazed open the word 'guy'. Now I know why I had a hard time sleeping last night. She's becoming boy crazy. Damn Prom. Why does she have to get so worked up about it? It's just a silly dance. My eyes narrowed as I remembered Koko being her 'reserved' date.

"Natsume?" I heard her call out since I wasn't saying anything. "Don't you dare sleep on me!" She warned as my ears started to ring at her high pitched voice.

"Hang up. I'm gonna call you." I told her sternly and ended the call. I sat up and felt another yawn come up. Stupid girl. I don't know how I was able to put up with her all these years.

My fingers dialed her number. She quickly answered it with her usual cheery tone. "Hello!" My lips curved up for a small smile. Sometimes, her cheerfulness can be contagious.

"Just send me a message if you want me to call you. I'm sure you don't have enough money to pay your bill if you keep on calling me." I told her and I heard her moan in protest. It's a typical Mikan reaction.

"You make it sound like I can't afford it." From the sound of her voice, she's probably pouting right now.

"Yeah, you can't."

"I soo can! How can you even say tha-" I withdrew the phone a few inches away my ear. Even at that distance, I could hear her whine and gripe at me.

_One… Two… Three… _I counted a few seconds before placing it back to my ear. "Are you done now?"

She started to speak and made frustrated noises at the same time. It took me while before I could understand what she was trying to say. "You are such a jerk, Natsume!" She screamed at me.

"So what else is new?"

"Oh, forget it! You're ruining this day for me…" She inhaled deeply then began to converse with me once more. "Are you gonna listen to me or not?"

"Do I have a choice?" I uttered dryly.

"You're hopeless..." She paused for a few seconds before changing the topic. "Anyway, what do you think should I wear? Do you think I should wear heels or flats?" She continued on. "How about a skirt? Or should I go for jeans? I might be overdressed it I were to wear-"

"Mikan!" I cried out her name in frustration. "Are you kidding me??" What was she thinking asking a guy these kinds of questions?

"Oh, was it tacky? Should I wear a full dress then? A pink one? And what about make-up?" She asked hopefully.

"You woke me up for this?!" I felt the blood gush to my head.

"Geez, Natsume… You're overreacting. I'm only asking you about clothes-"

_-click-_

Sure it wasn't the brightest thing to do, but you can't blame me for that. Tossing my phone aside, I sighed and sprawled back in bed. I barely slept last night and she wakes me up this early just to ask me_ that_? That idiot.

I'm pretty sure she'll call back and yell at me for hanging up. Realizing this, I quickly grabbed my phone and turned it off. Another yawn escaped my lips as I pulled up my covers hoping to drift back to sleep… Sadly, I couldn't.

I frowned at the thought of Mikan chasing after guys. Is she that desperate? What the hell did Koko tell her? What's so important in finding a date? So what if she hasn't gone out with anyone but me? Does she have to make it sound so embarrassing? I shook my head and tried to organize my thoughts… suddenly remembering the dream I just had.

Although we argue most of the time, I've grown to care for her as a brother would…

_A brotherly reaction?_

Must be… I turned to my side and buried my face under a pillow. "This explains the sudden overprotectiveness." I murmured as I forced myself to sleep.

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Even at school, my eyelids felt so heavy. This is what I get from not having enough rest… and I blame Mikan for this. I dragged my feet to class and slumped on my chair. I was always in top shape. Now, after that short walk, my body's too exhausted. Maybe I should drink some coffee later.

I leaned my elbow on the table and suppressed a yawn. Forcing my eyes to open normally, I noticed the guy beside me kept on staring.

"Wow. You look like crap." His voice greeted me, making me turn my head to see his face. It was my close friend, Ruka. He gave me a light pat on my back. "What's eating you?" He asked with a smile.

"You just had to ask." I groaned, laying my head on the table. I swear if I see that girl today, I'll give her a piece of my mind.

"I assume it has something to do with Mikan?" Ruka guessed. I turned my head towards him and looked amused. This guy can read me like an open book. That is to be expected if you've known the guy since you were in diapers.

"She called me at six in the morning just to ask about clothes and make-up. Can you believe that?" I couldn't contain myself any longer.

"Seriously?" He said in disbelief and added, "So what did you tell her?"

"Nothing. I hung up on her." I ran my fingers through my uncombed hair and scowled. "Try and call me at six? She should be thankful that I even answered her stupid call."

I'm always in a bad mood if I don't get enough sleep. He noticed this and didn't proceed with his questions. However, a certain girl didn't give a damn about it. She entered the room and scanned around, looking for me. As her eyes found me, her eyebrow suddenly twitched.

"Hyuga." She called my name in her usual cold manner. I was expecting her to storm right at me any minute now. "You owe me big time."

"Shut up, Imai." I didn't dare look at her stoic face. "It's not my fault." Ruka stared at us, confused, and listened to her lash at me.

"Not your fault?" She finally gave me a fierce look. "Your _friend_ woke me up just to ask about clothes." I smirked when she mentioned about the girl pestering her. It was predictable of Mikan to switch to her female friend after our conversation was cut short.

"That makes two of us."

"You hung up on her so she called me instead." Hotaru nagged at me.

"Like I said, not my fault."

"She's your _friend _so that makes you responsible."

"Stop it you too…" Ruka interrupted earning a glare from both of us. Anyhow, our conversation was bound to be interrupted in one way or another.

"NATSUME!" Koko yelled, waving his arms. "Have you seen Mikan??" We all shifted our gaze to the cheery guy by the door.

I flinched at the thought of Koko looking for her. I never did like that guy. "Why do you ask?" I asked him with an eyebrow slightly raised.

"She looks HOT." After hearing him say that, I definitely wasn't amused as he was.

"Really?" Ruka asked. I glanced at him who looked excited to see Mikan. I hated every minute of it.

"C'mon. She just went to the bathroom to freshen up." Koko motioned us to follow him. Ruka and Hotaru seemed interested and tailed behind him. I slowly stood up and decided to tag along.

'Freshen up?' It was like a foreign word to me. Since when did Mikan freshen up? Shaking my head, I marched towards Koko and the others to see that idiotic girl.

"Wow, you look nice." I heard Ruka compliment her looks. She was wearing a tube top with a black mini skirt and a coat to go with it. This is the first time I've seen her like this… and I am not pleased.

"Yeah, I didn't know you look good in a skirt." Koko smiled. I glowered in their direction and walked closer. I'm not used to hear men compliment Mikan's looks.

"You look stupid." I told her as I pulled the end of her ponytail. "You did take off the pigtails but tying it up like this doesn't make a difference."

She gave me an angry look and stuck her tongue out. "Koko and Ruka told me I look great and that's what matters!"

"As I recall, the words they used were 'nice' and 'good'. Not 'great'. Don't exaggerate."

"You're so mean… can't you be supportive?" She asked hopefully.

"Do you even know me?" She frowned at my sarcastic remark. "And what's with that tube top? You're flat-chested… is it even gonna hold?"

"What?! I AM NOT FLAT-CHESTED!" She protested.

"I've seen guys who have bigger breasts than you."

"Hey!! That's a foul thing to say!" She shoved me aside and walked away. "And by the way, I'm still mad at you for hanging up on me!!"

"Who's stupid enough to call me at six in the morning?" I snapped at her while running to her side.

We haven't noticed that Koko and the others slowly went back to their classes. They didn't bother telling us since we were too busy squabbling like kids. I followed Mikan but she kept pacing up deliberately trying to lose me. I smiled cockily at the thought of her outrunning me. That's rich.

"Are you going to ignore me all day?" I asked her placing a hand on her shoulder, stopping her from walking away.

"There's a price." I arched an eyebrow… but of course, I knew what she wanted.

"Fine. I'll treat you to some cake."

"Whoo!!" She threw her hands up and rejoiced. We're 18 now and she's still acting like a kid. How childish of her to forgive me so quickly for just some cake. I couldn't help but smile inwardly.

"I'll treat you before we go home." I told her but her smile suddenly faded.

"Umm… How about tomorrow?" She suggested. There was something strange in her actions.

"Tomorrow? Why?"

"Well… I have a…" She said sheepishly and whispered a word that I barely heard… my eyes widened at what she said.

"A DATE??" I exclaimed as my eyebrows lowered. How can she have a date already? "With who??"

"With Patrick." She smiled awkwardly. "He's really a nice guy…"

"Patrick Chase!?" She nodded. "That dumb jock?"

"He's not dumb… He's quite a gentleman."

I rolled my eyes. "Hold on." I scratched my head frustratingly. "You said yes to a guy you just met for a couple of minutes??"

"I kinda know him from being an athlete and popular so…"

"Don't you know he's a womanizer?" My blood started to boil at a dangerous level. Of all people, why did it have to be that _bastard_??

"And you aren't?" She asked slyly.

"Hitting on girls and being hit on girls are two different things." I pointed out. It wasn't my fault that girls chase after me.

"Well, I already said yes… so I can't possibly cancel it."

"How about the guy that I'll be setting you up with?" I quickly made up a lie.

"Oh, right! I forgot! Who is he?" She asked curiously. Thank God she's easily fell for it.

"Well..." I dug through my head, thinking of a name. "Chris!" I declared. "His name is Chris… and I planned on you two to go out tonight."

"Tonight? On short notice?"

"Yeah." I insisted. "You were planning to do the same thing with that Chase guy… Why not him? He's a lot nicer."

"Does he like food?"

"Definitely loves cakes."

"Video games?"

"RPG."

"Comic books?"

"Manga." I saw a smile crept up her face. "Well?"

_BBBBBBBBBRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNG!!!_

The bell rang and took me off guard. I heard Mikan curse softly saying that she doesn't want to be late for class. I still studied her face for any signs of approval. She noticed this and quickly turned to me and smiled.

"Sure! Tell him to meet me at lunch then!" She waved goodbye to me and ran towards her class. I nodded in return and walked to the direction of my classroom.

I didn't know if I should be happy or be worried at the fact that I just made the whole date thing up. I stood there, aghast at what I just said. How the hell am I supposed to find a guy named Chris… who likes cakes, RPG games and manga?? I walked towards my class and was lost in my thoughts. There has to be some way to fix this…

I asked myself where I could find decent guys in this school. Besides me, Ruka and... nope, just us… Aside from the two of us, there's no more civilized… smart… respectable men out there. Where the hell can I find someone to be Mikan's date??

"See ya later, Chris." A voice said goodbye to his friend. My head jerked up upon hearing the name 'Chris'. I quickly made my way towards the voice, pushing a few people out of my way.

I saw him heading for my classroom. Without thinking, I hastily grabbed his wrist and called his name. "Chris?" I asked dumbly.

"Do I know you?" He answered with a question looking at me oddly.

I ignored his words and stared at his features. I knew that it was a creepy thing to do but I didn't care. I stared at him from head to toe, and then back up again. He had messy dark brown hair with green eyes. His body wasn't too scrawny but he's got build… not too tall either.

"Excuse me?" He pulled his wrist from my grasp and watched me strangely. I can't blame him for that.

"You'll do." I said bluntly. 'Here goes nothing.' I said to myself silently. "How would you like to go out on a date?"

I saw how his eyebrow hunched up. "With you? I'd rather not. I'm straight." He turned his back on me and went on his way. Do I look like I'm gay? I contained myself from being rude to him. I do need him after all. I just hate clever remarks.

"That's not what I meant. I asked you if you'd like to go out on a date… with a girl." I repeated, waiting hopefully for his reply.

"Sorry, I don't take blind dates."

"She's pretty…" I bit my tongue for having said that. However, He still didn't look at me.

"You're wasting your time." It appears that he doesn't have any intention of going out on dates.

I took a deep breath. I guess I need to make the offer more appealing. For some reason, I feel that Mikan's gonna kill me if she finds out about this. 'Sorry Mikan.' I apologized to her silently, even if she can't hear me.

"How about this… I'll pay you."

With that, I saw him stop at his tracks and turned his head at me. "Seriously?"

"Name your price."

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TO BE CONTINUED…

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Omigodomigodomigodomigod!!! I can't believe I made it like this… Natsume's paying a guy to take Mikan out?? She'll definitely throw a fit if she finds out!! What'll happen next?? Next chapter comes in Mikan's POV

Was the writing sucky? I'm bad at writing at times… I can't choose the correct words… Anyway, Why not take your time to review my work?


	3. Chapter 3

Title: BY YOUR SIDE

**Title: BY YOUR SIDE**

Summary : (AU) Natsume & Mikan are childhood bestfriends. He constantly flirts with girls and she's used to it… but when it's the other way around, it bothers the hell out of him…and Prom's coming up too… How will things work out? (NXM) **Rated T for the Language**

Genre: Romance/General

**GlyNchaN**:

Woah! Waitaminute.. hold on there… Before you get your pitchforks and torches, I'd like to say sorry for not updating sooner... A lot of things happened like my thesis defense… final exams... graduating… computer crashing… need to format my pc… all data and fanfics vanished… you know, those kinds of stuff… at least I'm able to write this chapter… somehow...

Anyway, **rated T for the language**… lots of curses here… I'm warning you.

**DISCLAIMER : I don't own Gakuen Alice or any of the characters. All rights belong to Higuchi Tachibana.**

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CHAPTER THREE

Mikan's POV

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As soon as my first class was dismissed, I hastily ran towards my locker pushing everyone out of the way. 'Darn it,' I cursed lightly, ignoring the stares I was getting. 'This outfit is killing me! I don't think I'll last for the day.' I bit my lip trying to control my frustration. This is what I get for switching to mini skirts too quickly for me to adjust. 'It keeps on rising up!'

The skirt wasn't helping and it was only making me more nervous around guys. Although putting up a front helps, there are still times that I tense up, smiling stupidly and nodding like crazy. I wanted to strangle Koko for being right about my lack of social skills. How I wished that I felt comfortable around the opposite sex like I do for Natsume. That way, there shouldn't be any problem.

Seeing that my locker was only a few feet away, I took in a deep breath and stood up straight, trying to make up for the loss of composure. 'Walk like a girl... walk like a girl...' My lips curved up as my hand reached out to open my locker. 'I made it!'

When I opened it, I wanted to look at myself in a mirror. My face probably looked like crap and I wanted to see if my hair was still in place. 'Talk about vain.' I made a playful comment to myself. Brushing my hair with my hands, I realized it was more important to look for the book I'll need for my next class.

"So you really did take my advice."

Startled, I looked behind and saw a pair of violet shaded eyes staring. "God, Hotaru! You scared me." I shook my head and went back to rummaging my locker. I haven't cleaned it for days so it was quite a messy.

"Tube top... mini skirt... fashionable jacket... boots... you really outdid yourself this time." Hotaru eyed me from head to toe which I didn't find amusing. I know there's a huge change in my usual clothes but there's no need for a reaction such as that. It was making me conscious for my looks.

"I don't know if you're amused or repulsed by this." I glanced at her, trying to read the expression on her face. Still stoic as ever.

Hotaru folded her hands in her chest and shrugged. "So I heard someone asked you out already?" I noticed the slyness in her voice. Biting my lip, I hoped she didn't ask about that. She had a third eye for these things.

"What can I say? I'm too cute." I flashed a huge smile and went back to searching for my book, trying to act normally.

"Try convincing yourself that." She said smugly as her hand reached out for something inside my locker. "You were looking for this?" She lifted my textbook right up to my face and smiled. Other than Natsume, this girl knows me inside out.

"Thanks." I giggled and took the book from her hands. "What would I do without you?"

"Without me?" She added, "You'd be too nervous in front of guys and would probably agree to go out on some date..."

My smile faded as she paused at her words, leaning her head closer.

"...without actually planning to." Narrowing her eyes, a mischievous smile appeared on her face. I felt an imaginary rock hit my head. Darn it. She was always right on the mark.

I was fighting off the intense stare she was giving me. "One of these days I'll prove you wrong you know." I scowled at her.

"Let's see you try." She placed her hand on my head, encouraging my useless efforts. "I know you're an idiot, so it's logical that you didn't know what you were doing."

"He had a way with words!" I whined at her and sighed deeply. "He kept talking and I kept on nodding." I explained, remembering the way Patrick kept complimenting my looks with words I couldn't understand. "Before I knew it, I already said yes..." I know it was lame but I didn't mean to.

She rolled her eyes. "That's stupid. Koko was right when he said you can never act normal with other guys."

"Well, I can." I mumbled softly. "I just need practice, that's all."

"Why don't you practice with Natsume?" I instantly dropped the book I was holding.

"What?" I felt my cheeks were about to flush. Fighting off the blush on my cheeks I protested to Hotaru. "You've got to be kidding me! That's plain weird..." My voice fell silent to the idea of dating. Intimacy, kisses, holding hands... then Natsume's face pops up. Hotaru's placing weird thoughts in my head again. "He's like a brother to me... that would be pretty awkward." I added quickly.

"It's just an advice. What better way to learn by practicing on a guy you're familiar with?" She said cunningly. I swear, if only I could think straight right now, I'll wipe away that annoying smile of hers.

"That's silly..."

"No it's not." She shook her head. "He's got tons of experience in that area... why not take advantage of it? For educational purposes of course." _God! What is she saying?_

"Let me repeat what I said. He's like a brother to me! No sane person would practice on family!" I yelled, fighting off the blush in my cheeks. Why the heck am I blushing? I wanted to smack my head real good.

"You're not blood-related. More the reason for you not to get worked up. You really need to make use of your resources. You guys are _close._ I'm sure Natsume wouldn't mind if you-" Hotaru stopped her words by the sudden intrusion.

"Wouldn't mind what?" Speaking of the devil... I turned my head to look at the person behind me. He was wearing his usual frown, a fiercer one to be specific since he hates it when people are talking about him.

"Ah, Natsume!" I greeted with a forced smile. 'Crap. Hotaru's gonna pay for this.' I cursed in my head, desperately trying to separate the idea of Natsume, dating... and me. Now this is awkward. I haven't thought of something like this before. I could slap myself right now.

He casually raises his brow, noticing the uneasiness in me. I continued to stare blankly at him, still lost in my thoughts until I felt his hand on the side of my face making my face turn red. His touch was warm...

"OOOOOOOWW!!" I screamed at the burning pain in my cheek. He pinched and pulled it as if it was made out of rubber!

"Forcing a smile?" He asked casually as though he wasn't doing anything wrong.

"NYAAAAAH!!" I kept wailing, pleading him to let go which he did so, only after a few seconds of searing pain. Wishing that my cheek did made out of rubber, I gritted my teeth controlling myself not to kill him.

"That's better." Natsume let out a conceited grin. _Son of a..._

"You jack-ass... that hurt!" I rubbed my palm against my cheek trying to soothe the pain while giving Natsume my most intense glare, ever.

"I know." His lips curved to a weak smile, feeling amused at my response. I was too enraged to feel grateful for it. A minute there, I could've sworn there was nice moment between us.

Slamming my locker shut, I glanced to Hotaru's side seeing her annoying smile. "I have to get to class now. See you _two_ later." Hotaru said and gave me a slight nod before striding off to class.

Pushing all the unnecessary thoughts at the back of my head, I turned to Natsume grabbing his sleeve. "Let's go too. I don't wanna be late."

"Tell me what that was about." He spoke in a soft voice and followed behind me.

"No." I answered quickly and walking faster hoping that he realized that I didn't want to talk about it.

"It's not actually a question." _It's Hotaru's fault if things might get awkward._

'Why the hell am I overreacting?' I asked myself, biting my lower lip. This wasn't a bit deal so I shouldn't act like it is. "Hotaru just said something weird that made me feel awkward." I stated clearly not stopping my pace.

"She didn't tell you to practice on me, did she?" His question was right on the mark. How come all my friends can easily see through me? Startled by his sudden question, I wasn't able to properly place my heel on the floor making me lose my balance.

"KYAAH!" In a split second, angry thoughts surged though my head, blaming my clumsiness and the two inch stiletto heels of my damn boots. So what if it was only 2 inches? I was never used to wearing heels anyway. I had a feeling that I'm going to embarrass myself again... which was pretty much what happened in the next couple of seconds. Humiliation.

"Oi! Polka-" Natsume's voice faded as I heard him approach me. I tripped and fell on the floor, my skirt rode up higher than I expected revealing my... ugh... polka-dotted panties.

"W-wha..." I panicked and pulled my skirt down as quickly as possible. My ears somehow managed to hear several high pitched whistles from guys. "Q-quit it!" I turned my head to the prying people.

People were laughing, giving out sarcastic comments and I was burning with embarrassment. I tried to stand up but I was too uneasy, making it harder to do. Unwanted comments echoed through the hallway, crushing what's left of my pride. My face looked like a tomato, wanting to cry at that moment. I went and hid under a rock... but my imaginary rock was suddenly replaced by Natsume.

He took me in his arms, pulling me up like a flimsy little girl. The feel of his arms wrapped tightly around me made my heart skip even if it was only for a brief second. He was always like this, constantly protecting me. Despite his arrogant nature, he always looked out for me… even if he treated me like a rag doll.

My mind unexpectedly wandered again to the way he touched my cheek, feeling the rush of emotions through me. Why am I thinking like this?

If only Hotaru didn't fill my head with unnecessary thoughts... So I guess this is how Natsume charms the ladies. Does that mean I find him attractive? That's ridiculous. He's my best friend. It's a known fact that he's good looking. Plus, I've known him since forever... it's not... but then again...

He is a guy after all... oh who am I kidding?

Making sure I stood up in my feet correctly, he removed his arms from me and gave off an immense aura that probably choked the guys around us, glaring at them for the rude whistles and stares I got for tripping and exposing my panties. Not wanting to feel his wrath, everyone went back to their business and left us alone.

"Thanks." I whispered to him and slowly raised my head to meet his eyes...

_WHACK! _

Natsume smacked my head real good. "YOU MORON! YOU STUPID CLUMSY IDIOT!!" A part of me expected him to do that. Still, people would _normally_ use comforting words instead.

"Hey!" I complained, rubbing the back of my head where he hit me. "What's the big idea?"

"Only _YOU_ would do something as embarrassing as that! Watch where you're going next time, baka." He snapped at me and turned on his heel, leaving me gawking at him.

All of a sudden, his male figure that attracted me even by a little bit crumbled. Turned into dust. It probably was just my imagination. My eyebrows joined together as I paced towards him.

"It was an accident!" I pushed myself to run past him as I spat those words.

Feeling him glare at me, he briskly walked to outrun me. "Everything's an accident to you."

"Well, I didn't mean to... If I did want to show my panties, I wouldn't have done it that way."

"I don't think you're capable of being graceful." He threw a cocky glance at me. "No matter what you do."

"And you're not capable of being nice either!" I snapped at him. He stopped his tracks and gave me a glare. Well, he usually wears a stern face so it doesn't make any difference.

"So helping you when you made a fool of yourself can't be considered as being nice?" He asked in a calm voice. I can tell he was probably hurt by my words. Sometimes I feel so stupid for not thinking before I say something.

I didn't reply. He had a point... I only fell silent, feeling foolish. His glare disappeared as he turned to the other direction.

"Forget it." He shrugged and went on his way. "We'll be late for class."

I felt a pang of guilt as I began to walk behind him. "Are you mad?" I asked barely above a whisper.

Without turning back, he assured me with an annoyed tone. "I told you to forget it."

When we arrived at our classroom, the Narumi-sensei wasn't there yet although that was the last thing on my mind. I was too busy observing the look on Natsume's face. He wasn't looking at me. I followed him to his usual seat by the back of the classroom, taking the seat beside him.

"Are you mad?" I asked once more. I knew he didn't like it when I repeatedly asked him questions but I just wanted to know...

He glanced at me, neither wearing a frown nor a smile on his face. "No, and I told you to forget it. Now cut it out before you really make me mad."

Listening to his warning, I immediately shut my mouth to avoid getting scolded again. I always get scolded by him… Well, it's partly my fault. I don't know when to stop when I had to. I hesitatingly took a glance at him hoping he wouldn't notice.

I simply rolled my eyes at the sight of him reading the latest copy of _SHONEN JUMP_. And I thought I had done some emotional damage there. Stupid of me to think like that. Somehow, him acting normal made me happy enough to pull my usual cheery grin.

"When are you gonna stop wearing polkadots?" A smirk appeared on his face, his eyes not leaving his manga. My grin quickly withdrew at his clever remark.

"SHUT UP!" I yelled at him teasingly, a cute frown on my lips.

He tossed in another insult. "I didn't know you wanted a guy that bad. You even resorted to flashing your polka-dotted panties in public." _What??_

"Hey!" My cheeks turned red again of embarrassment. It was this guy who didn't know how to keep his mouth shut.

"You're the idiot who wears high heels who doesn't even know how to walk in them."

"It's your fault for making me lose my balance."

"So it's my fault..." He said with sarcasm in his voice.

"Duh!"

"Right. Blame it on me rather on your stupidity."

"I am not stupid!" I felt our conversation was going nowhere but I can tell everything was back to normal. He had a talent for taking out the uneasiness in me... at my expense.

I heard him sigh gruffly. "Whatever."

"Whatever too." _Geez, I sound like a brat._

I heard him shut his manga rather loudly, catching my attention. "Speaking of which, have you told the dumb jock that you're canceling your 'date'?"

I gulped hard. "No. Not yet." Honestly, I didn't know how to break it off with the guy. I slowly fidgeted on my seat, chasing away the uneasiness. I had the feeling that he's about to give me a good scolding.

"If you won't, I'll be the one to tell him." My eyes widened at his suggestion.

"You... you can't do that! It'd be rude... and..." I was at a loss of words. True, with him breaking it off would be much easier than doing it myself. I studied his expression but I couldn't make out something.

"It's fine." I saw him stretched his legs as he said this. "I've known you for ages, there's no way you could reject someone." A grim tone was evident in his voice.

"But-"

"I'll take care of it. I don't want you going out with that guy. And I have some business with him too." He turned his head to gaze at my eyes, manifesting his strong resolve. His ruby eyes were boring holes through mine, showing how dead serious he was.

"Okay." I said sheepishly. I was aware of his protectiveness but somehow I feel something different in this one. "Hey, Natsume..." I called out in a soft voice.

He had already turned his face to the other way. I heard him grunt, answering my call. It was like him to say those things as if it meant nothing. "What?" He insisted in an annoyed voice.

"Thanks." I smiled sweetly at him. "Thank you for always looking out for me. I really appreciate it."

Upon hearing my kind words, a faint smile also made its way to his lips. He didn't look back at me but I can feel the warmth from his expression. It was rare for him to do that. A smile reserved only for me... it made me feel special. Well, he's my best friend after all and I know him far more than anyone else.

"Baka. You know I'll always will." He told me looking amused.

"How sweet... What's this? A promise of _eternity_?" Nonoko blurted out from behind, thus ruining a moment me and Natsume shared. It's not everyday that I get to see him smile like that. I noticed Natsume flinched at my friend's presence.

"Nonoko, What is it?" I asked cheerfully and emitting a killing aura at the same time. I'm proud to say, I learned that from Hotaru.

"Nothing." She smiled, ignoring my venom. "F.Y.I, there's a high probability that Narumi-sensei might not attend class today. He hasn't arrived in school yet."

"It's not exactly shocking news." Natsume uttered rudely.

"Yeah," I agreed. "Narumi-sensei's absent most of the time."

"Well, just sharing a bit of info from the most reliable source of all…" Nonoko waved before heading back to the pack of giggling girls. "Toodles."

"Most reliable…?" I muttered confusedly.

"Who else? I assume that to be Hotaru." He grunted. "That girl has the whole school bugged."

I giggled. "At least I have a free period right now…" My eyes widened. " …Oh, crap!" I muttered, remembering the book I pulled out of my locker. I slapped my forehead for being such an idiot. Natsume had a puzzled look on his face so I took the liberty of explaining it to him in full speed.

"Why bother? Narumi won't show up in class anyway." He assured me but I wasn't convinced. How am I supposed to study if I lose my book? ...it's not like I'll be studying anyway but still.

"No, I already took it outside my locker. I must've dropped it." I ran towards the door and waved a hand, ignoring Natsume.

I scrambled my head for any clue on where I dropped my book. It would be okay if I left it in my locker but I distinctly remembered taking it out. If my memory serves me right, it was Hotaru who pulled out the book from my little cave.

Concentrating on not tripping again, I paced towards my locker avoiding prying eyes. I don't want people to accuse me of skipping classes… especially Jinno-sensei. That guy's always bringing me to hell. Why do I always get into trouble with him around.

I stopped my tracks as I noticed a brown-haired guy standing in front of my locker, holding a book with a very familiar signature orange fruit sticker by the side. _It was my book!_ Not that I'm accusing him of stealing or anything. I focused my eyes on his face and felt the unpleasant feeling I always have when meeting strangers. Male strangers to be exact.

"Um, excuse me." I stammered uneasily and pointing to the object he was holding.

He slowly turned his head towards me, along with the sight of his alluring green eyes. "Is this yours?" He asked huskily with gentleness evident in his voice. I skipped a beat.

I only nodded in agreement, a typical reaction for someone who didn't have experience in the guy department. '_He must think I'm some freak gawking at him like this._' I scolded myself, resisting the blush crawling up my cheeks. Damn, I am never good at socializing.

He raised a brow and I instinctively flinched. That just proved my suspicions. "Here." He said calmly handing me the book with his extended arm. "I'm not going to eat you, you know."

"Yes." I nodded once more approaching him with caution. _Crap, do I not know any other word than yes?_

"Geez. Do you want me to leave this on the floor so you can get it yourself?" He said mockingly. _Hold on, who does this guy think he is?_

"Thanks, I'd appreciate it." I answered sarcastically and glad he was able to notice it as he narrowed his eyes. So what if didn't feel comfortable with strangers? He didn't have to ridicule me like that.

He rolled his eyes in disgust. "Well, here you go, miss…" He stopped and scanned my book for my name. His eyes snapped open at the upper right corner of my book, staring at the place where my name situated in. His jaw slightly open. "Mikan Sakura…" He whispered in disbelief.

"Yes, that's my name." I confirmed, feeling uneasy with his actions. He turned to face me, staring intently from head to toe… then back up to my face. _This guy is scaring me…_

"Mikan Sakura…" He said once again but it came more like a statement rather than a question compared to earlier.

"Y-yeah… What?" I asked. "You're starting to scare me." I took a step back, preparing myself to run away before he does something.

I saw him smack his head with his free palm making me cry out a tiny 'eep'. Noticing a level of frustration in his actions, I tilted my head to peek at his face. I quickly froze to find his eyes fixated onto mine. He let out a ragged sigh and cursed.

"Oh, shit."

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TO BE CONTINUED…

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Wheee… finally.. Chapter three is done...


	4. Chapter 4

Title: BY YOUR SIDE

**Title: BY YOUR SIDE**

Summary : (AU) Natsume & Mikan are childhood bestfriends. He constantly flirts with girls and she's used to it… but when it's the other way around, it bothers the hell out of him…and Prom's coming up too… How will things work out? (NXM) **Rated T for the Language**

Genre: Romance/General

**GlyNchaN: **Well, I was supposed to update earlier but I changed the whole chapter last minute... So I was caught in between writing for the sake of an update or writing for the sake of my story… I went with the latter that's why I had a late update. I know, excuses excuses excuses…

oh right! Take note:

Patrick Chase -- guy who asked Mikan out in chapter two. (Just some random name I came up with. No one in particular.)

No further questions?

Proceed... :)

Anyway, **rated T for the language… probably for some situations too.**

**WARNING!! MORE CURSES HERE THAN IT USUALLY HAS... **WELL, I PUT THEM UP FOR SEVERAL REASONS…

**DISCLAIMER : I don't own Gakuen Alice or any of its characters. All rights belong to Higuchi Tachibana.  
**

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CHAPTER FOUR

Natsume's POV

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I started to feel worse, exhaustion was slowly consuming my body and the worse part was that my head was starting to hurt. I closed my eyes to the throbbing pain deep within my skull. Taking deep breaths, I managed to forget the pain… for a while.

That's when she came, entering the doorway with an expression I couldn't decipher. I stood up and approached her, curious as to why she has that blank look on her face.

There was something about her when she came back. I gazed her suspiciously, observing every detail in her expression. This was the first time I saw her like this. Her cheeks were a bit pink, she's taking quick breaths like she just ran a mile, and the strange thing was that she kept looking behind her, expecting to see someone. I was starting to get annoyed since she wasn't saying anything.

"What took you so long? Did something happen?" I asked her gruffly but the girl kept staring into blank space. I took her silence as a yes. Damn it. She wasn't even listening to me.

This never happened before. Well, there was this one time that she failed a subject but that was entirely different. It's rare for her mind to wander far. How frustrating.

"Oi. Baka." I studied her expression. No change. "Polkadots." Another failed attempt. "Strawberries?" I tried again but she still remained silent. Now I'm getting worried. Well, it's leaning more on annoyance actually.

I raised my hand to release her hair from her ribbon. She always reacts when I do this.

Finally! Her eyes wandered aimlessly until it landed on my chest. It took a few more seconds before climbing up to meet my furious gaze. My mind was screaming at her to tell me what her problem was. Stupid Baka.

"Huh?" She whispered softly like she just arrived to reality. Damn it. I couldn't take it anymore. This is something I should've done firsthand.

With swift movements, I smacked her hard on the side of her head.

"YEOW!" Mikan yelped, her eyes shut tightly blinded by the pain. "Owww… what the heck was that about?!" She murmured rubbing away the sore feeling.

"You weren't yourself." I said flatly, my eyebrow slowly arcing up. "What's eating you?"

"Geez, you have a habit of either pinching or hitting me if something's wrong." Her glare seemed to throw daggers at me.

"Well?"

She let out an exasperated sigh and turned once more to look by the door, a faint blush tinting her cheeks. Damn it. Who the hell was she looking for? I felt a vein pop in my head.

"Forget it." I said bitterly, turning my heel and walking away. Her face looked alarmed, not knowing what to do. _If she asks me to stay, I might._

"Hey, hold it…" Mikan pleaded softly. "I haven't said anything yet." She stopped me from going anywhere by clinging onto my sleeve, not letting go. I stood there waiting for her response. "I… I just had another awkward moment…" She mumbled incomprehensibly for people other than me to hear.

I opened my mouth to throw my usual mockery at her. "You never lear-"

"…with a guy." She finished her sentence leaving me at a loss of words. "He was really scary. He kept staring at me like some freak show and…" She continued on telling me about her little escapade by the lockers.

It only took me a couple of seconds for the whole thing hit me in the head like a hammer. Her voice slowly fading as my mind started to spin like crazy. I didn't know if it was because of my headache or…

"Natsume?" Her voice woke me up from my thoughts. I stared at her for a while before placing my hand on top of her head and messing up her hair assuring that things were fine.

"He didn't do anything, did he?" I asked, trying my best to contain myself. It was probably nothing although I might look for that creep behind her back just to make sure.

She simply shook her head even if her face was turning bright red. "No… h-he didn't do anything." I narrowed my eyes at her. I can tell she wasn't telling the whole story since she was stammering at her words.

"And you? Did YOU do something?" I saw her tense up at my question. It was right on the mark. Clumsiness overrules.

Her awkward smile grew wide the more I raise my eyebrow higher. She began to play with her fingers this time. "I just tripped again… that's all... haha." I felt stupid for overreacting.

"Baka." I playfully smacked her head again, earning a grumbling protest. "You worried me for nothing." I mumbled to myself.

"..I worried you?" She leaned towards me, a curious look on her face. I guess I did say that loud enough for her to hear. She probably won't let it go, not when she's smiling mischievously like that. The idiot. I continued to act like it was nothing.

It was easy to do so with my vision blurring for a second. Did the lack of sleep just get to me? I needed to sit down. I idly walked towards a vacant seat and lounged on it. My fingers slowly massaged my head though I doubt it'll get rid of my budding headache.

"Did I? Did I?" She kept pestering me with her curious questions and toothy smiles.

"Mikan, shut up for a minute." I murmured, shutting my eyes, hoping the pain will go away soon. It was starting to get worse.

"Hah! You won't even admit…" She paused for a moment, finally noticing that I wasn't feeling well. "Are you okay?"

"This… It's nothing." I stubbornly tried to hide it. In reality, my head was now hurting like hell, I'm weak and my world is spinning… literally. In other words, I felt like crap. I had no problem holding it in all morning. But now…

"I don't think so." She brought her hand to my forehead, checking my temperature. I cringed at how cold her hand was against my skin. I actually did feel like burning up.

I didn't bother opening my eyes. I had to admit, I wanted to stay like that. It must be her hand, slowly cooling my head. But somehow, there's more to her hand than just being cold. To be touched by her like that... it felt nice. I've always loved how she touches me. It seems to appease me every time.

"Oh, crap. You've got a slight fever." She said in her worry-stricken face. I gently took her hand away from my forehead and flashed a weak smile. I didn't want her to worry over something trivial.

"It's not a real fever." I stated, quickly forcing my eyes half open, wanting to look casual. I may like it when she's worrying about me but I hated feeling weak and useless.

"It's not nothing." She paused to give me a glare. "This is no time to act high and mighty." She scowled at me, pulling my arm around her neck to bring me up.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Watching her in disbelief, I jerked my arm away from her grasp. There's no way I'd look like some wimp being dragged by a girl, not in front of everyone. She didn't even consider on how it would be embarrassing for me. Stupid girl.

"I'm taking you to the nurse's office." She grabbed my arm once more and pulled me up. I groaned in protest. "Or else…" She spoke with a voice that was trying to sound threatening.

"Or else what?" I incited. Her face looked a little annoyed at my question.

"Or else… " I gazed at her intently, urging her to go on. "Or else…" She heaved a frustrated sigh. "Who cares? I'm taking you even if I have to drag your ass all the way there." With her arm clinging to mine, she pulled me outside. I smirked at this, amused by the turn of events. I was too weak to complain.

"Do what you want." I said groggily, admitting defeat.

"I might ask Hotaru to help me with the blackmailing. It's never my forte." She thought aloud and began to drag me to the clinic against my will.

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"Wow. You look like crap."

Blinded by the strong light of the lamp in the ceiling, I carefully opened my eyes to the brightness of the white walls surrounding me. I could feel the soft sheets underneath my fingertips before I raised my hand to my eyes, trying to block out some light. Realizing I was still lying in the bed inside the nurse's office, I groaned in response to by friend's greeting.

"Did you realize you've said that to me twice now?" My vision was still blurry as I tried to focus myself.

"I'm aware of that." Ruka smiled. "By the way, the nurse went out for a while and said you're free to go but I think she wants you to make frequent visits."

Propping myself with my elbows, I turned my head to give him a puzzled look. "Why?"

"Gee, for a self-proclaimed genius, you're slow on the uptake," he continued on as I grumbled in the background. "Being labeled as 'to-die-for' probably explains everything. God, even the nurse has the hots for you."

"So what else is new?" I shook my head as I lazily sat down, a yawn escaping my lips. "What time is it, anyway?"

"School's almost over. Speaking of which, do you remember the cute model who was flirting with me before?" Ruka asked with a serious expression on his face. I remembered weeks ago when the two of us posed for a magazine and some model came up to him. "Do you remember her number?" I quickly cocked my brow at his question.

"What do you think I am? A walking black book?" I pushed the sheets and shifted my position letting my feet dangle to the floor.

"Damn Hotaru took it as collateral for the camera I broke," he sank on a chair in front of him. "I only broke it since she was taking illicit pictures of me." I pity him for constantly being blackmailed like that. How she ended up as a close friend of Mikan's, I'll never know.

"She's the only girl I'd never want to cross paths with." I said snickering lightly showing amusement to my friend's predicament. My feet began to feel its way to my shoes.

"That's true." Ruka also chuckled but his laughter came to a stop as he winced in pain. Being someone who quickly notices things, I seized the edge of his shirt and pulling it up. "H-hey!"

"What the heck is this?" I questioned him on why he has a dark bruise by his ribs. I glowered at him for not telling me about this. Other than Mikan, I was overly protective of him. He was like a little brother to me. Sometimes he can never take care of himself.

"I fell?" My look grew fiercer despite his assuring smile. "I take it you're not falling for that…" He averted his gaze and exhaled deeply. "I just got into a fight that's all." He explained while pulling his shirt down and fixing the creases.

"Who, when and why." I used my deep and domineering tone.

"Look, all I have is a small bruise by the ribs. Nothing more, nothing less." He tried to enlighten me but it wasn't working.

"It's that bastard Chase, right?" He began to scratch his head and gave me a pleading look. I knew he didn't want to make a huge deal out of this.

"Look, I took care of it already." He reassured me that everything was fine now. A smile crawling up to his lips hoping that I'll smile back at him. "I'm tougher than I look."

I ran my fingers through my messy hair, an easy fix. "Really now. Last time I checked, you scream like a girl."

"Haha. Funny." He rolled his eyes and turned his back on me. "I'm heading out. You coming?"

"Yeah." I nodded and checked if my feet were securely placed inside my shoes. I already wasted a whole day in this bed and I'm not planning to stay here until sundown too. I followed Ruka heading towards the door.

He stopped for a split-second, realizing something important. "Whooops… I forgot your bag. Hold on."

Staring at Ruka's back as he disappeared behind the curtain made me remember that Chase character. I haven't forgotten about him, not what he has done. Womanizer my ass, that jerk will take anyone in a skirt. Unlike him, girls flock Ruka like bees to honey. Feeling a sense of rivalry? Who's he kidding?

I suddenly sensed a presence by the door. His loud footsteps were suggesting his uninvited arrival. Upon narrowing my eyes, the door swung open revealing a devilish figure, face and arms covered in dark bruises and cuts. He scowled with eyes that were ready to kill.

_Speaking of the devil…_

"Nogi, if you think you got away with it easil-" He stopped mid-sentence as he noticed it wasn't Ruka who he was talking to but me. How dumb can this guy be? "Ah, Hyuga. I didn't know you were here." He greeted, trying to hide his mistake.

Even if he was covered in bruises, I still didn't feel any sympathy for such a…"Bastard." I answered back. Ruka was a black belt, to nail him like that in the ribs could only be possible if the freak was fighting dirty.

"Hi to you too. Look what your little friend did to me and my face!" He snarled at me, pointing to a noticeable bruise by his right jaw. Our small conversation was timely interrupted by my blonde haired friend. Chase's eyes quickly spotted him. "Damn jerk…"

"Woah. You'd better get those bruises cleaned up." Dry concern was painted in Ruka's face as he drew closer.

"Who do you think did this to me?" Chase gritted his teeth at Ruka.

I just had enough of this, "Get the hell out of here."

"It's not my fault the ladies prefer me over you," Ruka taunted him, "and it's not like I started this,"

"Shut your trap, Nogi." Chase pointed his finger at him, directing a threat.

"Get out." I repeated, my fists clenched together restraining my anger. I never liked that jerk.

"Fine, I'll leave, Hyuga." Chase decided to comply with knuckles set down to his sides. He was always afraid of me but the fear wasn't enough to stop him from hurling a defiant look towards Ruka. "We'll settle this later."

"Whatever." Ruka shrugged his shoulders.

Recalling Mikan's casual date with him, there's no way I'm letting that freak look at her. This might be the best time to warn him on messing with anyone related to me. Before he stepped out of the room, I made my voice more threatening. "And don't you dare come anywhere near Mikan."

Chase paused at my words, turning his head slowly to meet my gaze. "What's this? Guarding your territory?" I wanted to wipe that grin off his face.

"Fuck off." He even had the decency to mock me.

"Alright… I won't go near her though she looks more luscious in that short skirt of hers." I felt that everything was slowly turning black. No one talks about Mikan in that way. I don't want anyone disrespecting her in any freakin' way. _Bastard._

"Talk like that again and I swea-"

"What?" He continued, "I'm just saying, your chick has an ass. It's natural to wonder what it would feel like against-"

It didn't take a fraction of a second for my fist to come in contact with his jaw. I growled as my left hand clutched tightly on his shirt, lugging him back to meet my fist the second time.

"Shit, Natsume. What the hell…" Ruka yelled, breaking us up, but was unable to.

Taking advantage of his height and build, Chase grabbed hold of my back trying to throw me off balance. With my feet firmly secure to the ground, I strategically placed my hands into position and hauled him overhead, throwing him to the floor on his back.

"Stop it! You just had a fever, damn it." Ruka cried out once more, tightly holding my arm hoping to pull me away.

"Damn you, bastard." He spat out, a trickle of blood on the side of his mouth.

"I'll kill you." My eyes were bright red from anger. Ruka used his arm to push me further back, away from Chase, before I could really kill him.

"Asshole…" Chase used the back of his palm to wipe the blood on his lips. "You're just jealous coz she won't go out with your pathetic self."

His words felt like bricks -- _You're just jealous coz she won't go out with your pathetic self _-- It echoed in my head, as if it held onto some small truth in it… as if it was taunting me to my feelings for Mikan… as if it was saying I was pathetic.

…_Pathetic._

It was only due to Ruka's voice that snapped me out of my thoughts. He was kneeling in front of Chase wearing a grim look on his face.

"Pull a stunt like that again and I swear it won't be Natsume this time." His hand clutched the fabric on his colar. "Get lost." He released him, his glare telling him to make it fast.

I felt extremely annoyed at the way he talked about Mikan. This is why I never wanted her to wear skimpy clothes. It was frustrating… hearing someone say something like that. She's too innocent for this kind of world. Men aren't always knights in shining armors.

"Damn it."

"Are you alright?" Ruka asked quietly. He sensed I was bothered by the things Chase had just said.

"Yeah," I nodded. "Sorry Ruka. I want to be alone for a while."

"No problem." He gave me a comforting pat on the back. "Hey, just ignore what he said, okay?" I could tell he was trying to cheer me up.

"Thanks." I waved a hand at him as I entered the hallway which was now slowly being filled with students leaving the classrooms.

My body still felt the rush of anger upon hearing remarks made to Mikan. For someone to have the guts to talk about her like a piece of meat, my fists were itching to punch him some more. I strode to the exit, avoiding everyone as much as possible.

This just proves on how you can't trust any guys out there. Men act differently in front of girls, making them believe to pretences. Always showing their good side… Always hiding imperfections… Always lying just to make themselves look good… And in the end, once they're unsheathed from their lies, you won't know what hit you.

I swear, I won't become like that. I'll never become like that. Not someone like _them_.

I won't become like my dad.

Damn. I was thinking too much, too much that it made me remember that _bastard_.

"Hey, wait up!" My ears perked up at the sound of her voice. Mikan. I turned my head to see her flowing brown hair from afar.

"Oi, pol-" My words were caught in my throat. She was with someone… following him to be exact. It was the guy I hired to take Mikan out on a date. _Chris_. What are they doing? Do they even know each other?

"What do you want?" He asked sounding annoyed. He kept his eyes steadily in front of him. "Shouldn't you be checking up on Natsume?"

"How'd you know…" She looked puzzled but continued on. "It's fine… Ruka said he'll take care of it." She shrugged it off as if it was nothing.

_Ruka'll take care of it?_ I felt my face sink into a deeper kind of dismay. So she'll put me off just to hang out with the 'guy' I hired? What the hell… but I should be happy that she's not having any suspicions, right?

…Still, to put me off even if I fell sick?

Alright, she knew I hated people treating me like a baby more so being weak myself but can't she show at least a little sign of concern? She was concerned when she took me to the nurse's office… How about now? When has she started showing me this kind of halfhearted kindness?

No, that's not it. How could I think of something like that?

She might call to check up on me after. Why am I getting so worked up like this? I'm her bestfriend but I'm not her boyfriend or anything. It's not her _duty_ to look after me. There's no such thing as a friendship with 'rules' and 'guidelines' to follow.

_Honestly, was I jealous? _Chase's words made me think of things, opening a new kind of picture for my thoughts to wander. I had to admit, my protectiveness was reaching to an extreme point. Family? I'm not related by blood. Just a friend? I'm the closest to her than anyone else.

I have the right to be protective, haven't I?

It's perfectly normal to be protective. Yeah.

To keep her by my side…

Not leaving my side…

Always by my side…

That's… normal.

I hadn't noticed that almost everyone already went on their way, including Mikan and her 'friend'. I glanced around and saw Ruka waving his arm at me trying to catch my attention. "Natsume!" He cried out my name, approaching me from behind. "I almost forgot to give you this." He held out my bag. "Here. Your things."

I didn't mean to ignore him but my mind was still deep in thought. Suddenly, everything became clear. "…shit."

"Huh?" Ruka stared at me, curious as to why I said that.

"I'm in deep shit."

"You've always been in deep shit." He smirked at my words. "Finally realizing your feelings now?"

"What are you implying?" I asked, giving him a skeptical look. "I don't want to think of complicated things."

"Then what did you think about?"

"…how I simply want her to stay by my side."

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TO BE CONTINUED…

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NEXT CHAPTER: (Mikan)

Okay, I just met this weird guy by the lockers and I seriously curse these stiletto heels for the second time today. I really hope I don't run into him again… Sadly, my prayers had not been answered. Why am I not surprised? He's just outside the building… Hold on, wait! I forgot he has my book!... And he's what?! He's Natsume's friend?? But… but that guy's so cynical about everything!! Please don't make me spend time with him… Please oh please oh pleeeease… Crap. The Gods were never on my side.

**GlyNchaN: **Like it? Love it? Despise it? Tell me your thoughts. Feel free to review/PM/email me if you like… as long as you don't stalk me into updating… LOL(dry laughter)...


	5. Chapter 5

**Title: BY YOUR SIDE**

Summary : (AU) Natsume & Mikan are childhood bestfriends. He constantly flirts with girls and she's used to it… but when it's the other way around, it bothers the hell out of him…and Prom's coming up too… How will things work out? (NXM) **Rated T for the Language**

Genre: Romance/General

Oh my GOD! She's still alive? After all these years? Wow… just put down your pitchforks and put up your welcome back banner. LOL.

Its a little longer than usual.. something to make up for lost time.

_If you're all wondering… the first scene in this chapter explains the ending in chapter 3._

Anyway, **rated T for the language… probably for some situations too.**

**DISCLAIMER : I don't own Gakuen Alice or any of its characters. All rights belong to Higuchi Tachibana.**

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Last scene in chapter 3: (Just so you won't get confused)

I stopped, noticing a brown-haired guy standing in front of my locker. He was holding a book with a very familiar signature orange fruit sticker by the side. _It was my book!_ Not that I'm accusing him of stealing or anything. I examined his face and felt the unpleasant feeling I get when meeting strangers. Male strangers to be exact.

"Um, excuse me." I spoke uneasily and pointed to the object he was holding.

He slowly turned his head towards me, along with the sight of his alluring green eyes. "Is this yours?" He asked huskily with gentleness evident in his voice. I skipped a beat.

I only nodded in agreement, a typical reaction for someone who didn't have experience in the guy department. '_He must think I'm some freak gawking at him like this._' I scolded myself, resisting the blush crawling up my cheeks. Damn, I am never good at socializing.

He raised a brow and I instinctively flinched. That just proved my suspicions. "Here." He said calmly handing me the book with his extended arm. "I'm not going to eat you, you know."

"Yes." I nodded once more approaching him with caution. _Crap, do I not know any other word than yes?_

"Geez. Do you want me to leave this on the floor so you can get it yourself?" He said mockingly. _Hold on, who does this guy think he is?_

"Thanks, I'd appreciate it." I answered bitterly and glad he was able to notice it. So what if didn't feel comfortable with strangers? He didn't have to ridicule me like that.

He rolled his eyes in disgust. "Well, here you go, miss…" He stopped and scanned my book for my name. His eyes snapped open at the upper right corner of my book, staring at the place where my name situated in. His jaw slightly open. "Mikan Sakura…" He whispered in disbelief.

"Yes, that's my name." I confirmed, feeling uneasy with his actions. He turned to face me, staring intently from head to toe… then back up to my face. _This guy is scaring me…_

"Mikan Sakura…" He said once again but it came more like a statement rather than a question compared to earlier.

"Y-yeah… What?" I asked. "You're starting to scare me." I took a step back, preparing myself to run away before he does something.

I saw him smack his head with his free palm making me cry out a tiny 'eep'. Noticing a level of frustration in his actions, I tilted my head to peek at his face. I quickly froze to find his eyes fixated onto mine. He let out a ragged sigh and cursed.

"Oh, shit."

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**CHAPTER FIVE**

**Mikan's POV**

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_It all happened so fast. Stilleto heels as a deadly weapon? Yeah. More like a double edged sword. I heard myself curse out loud on how clumsy can I get._

"_Oh shit." _

_The stranger quickly grabbed me by the waist, my arms flinging to him for safety. It wasn't enough, and I still slipped from his arms and on the flooring. I grasped whatever fabric my hands could get hold off to break my fall. My ass was saved from the supposedly unsightly fall. _

"_Thank God…" I breathed a sigh of relief before looking up to the male figure in front of me. "OH GOD."_

_I gaped._

_I felt all the blood rush to my head when I realized that my face was inches away from his boxers. I saw his cheeks turn to the exact shade of red as his underwear. My mouth hung open while I was racking my brains on what to say. Unfortunately, I couldn't even construct a simple sentence, just strange noises that sounded like a 2-year old reciting vowels. _

"_Uh, could you let go?" He was tugging his pants back up, his cheeks were bright red._

_It took a while before my mind realized that I was still holding it down. "A-ah!" I stuttered and cupped my own cheeks, trying to calm myself down. What to do? What to do? Just stay here in the ground and pretend to be a rock? Or stand up and face reality and the stranger in front of me? Is there anything else? I felt the steam coming out of my head. If Hotaru were here, she'd definitely whack my head real good. Natsume would probably do the same. Why are my friends so violent? _

"_That was… kinda awkward." His voice was soothing like a cool breeze against my tomato-like head. I felt his arms against mine, bringing me up to my feet. _

_I slowly traced his features with my eyes. He didn't look menacing at all. He had brown messy hair and alluring green emerald eyes. I stood there, stupidly staring at him again. My heart was pounding so hard as if trying to break free from my chest. He was standing too close with his arms on my sides! My eyes were now swirling from anxiety, my body acting on its own. _

"_Are you okay?" He asked nicely._

_And what did I give him? I clean slap on the face._

_The Baka-autopilot was on. I never had the chance to think it through or even see the look on his face. Everything around me was spinning. My body now took over my mind and did what it knew best. Retreat._

_I made a run for it._

_

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_

It was the end of the day, everyone couldn't wait to get out of the prison they call school. Students flooded through the hallways. I held on Hotaru so I wouldn't lose her. It was so like her to act uninterested in whatever is happening to me right now… unless it had some sort of merit for her. Of course it's so like me to also ignore the fact that she's ignoring me.

"AARGH!" I shook Hotaru's arm in frustration. "What should I do? It was inexcusable! I shouldn't have slapped him on the face! I should've at least said 'thank you'! Something's wrong with me?"

She sliced easily through the crowd of students, trying to find refuge. "Something IS wrong with you." She threw me a glare. "From the moment you were born." She narrowed her eyes, mouthing B-A-K-A to me.

"C'mon!" I shook harder. Her feet paced up but I held onto her like glue. "Although he did seem like a scary guy, he was nice enough to ask if I'm okay," I continued on. "I felt it wasn't right to run off like that. He was helping me stand up because I fell down! Oh I hope he didn't thought I was insane."

Hotaru shook my arms off hers. "I'll never know how Natsume puts up with your whining."

"B-but…"

"Why are you nervous anyway?" Her stone cold eyes focused on our path.

I blinked hard, trying to get my head straight. I glanced at Hotaru's stoic face. "The idea of guys hugging me or kissing me sounds…"

"Disgusting? Replusive?" She tried to guess.

"..unheard of!" I wrinkled my nose in distaste. "Everyone is getting into relationships that easy. So when I see guys, I always think of how they'd want to kiss you on the first date or wrapping their arms around you in the dark!" That very thought sent a chill through my spine. "It makes me uneasy when I think of it."

I heard Hotaru let out a heavy sigh. "A defense mechanism? I didn't know you're such a conservative girl." I felt the ice-cold sensation of her look. "Then why, may I ask are you dead set on finding a boyfriend if you're not even thinking of having one?"

I smiled uneasily, "Well, it is the prom after all." Clearing my throat, I straightened my posture to look more confident. "I read somewhere that the guy you're with makes a statement."

"I bet you got that off on some cartoon," She shrugged.

"I'm just kidding," I joked, waving my hand to her. "But seriously, a prom is supposed to be romantic. Everyone wants to be with a special someone. I want the same thing too. Maybe I can find a guy that I won't be that nervous around with."

"You're watching way too many movies."

We made it to the courtyard. The afternoon air never felt this good. The crowd of students grew thinner. Everyone is going their separate ways. "It's sad to think that up until now, the only guy I was ever with was either Natsume or Ruka."

Hotaru chuckled a bit. "You're not even considering the others as guys?"

"You know what I mean!" I grumbled.

"You're good at making friends. Just be yourself." Hotaru smiled meekly at me, I felt a small tug to my heartstrings. "All relationships start off as friends. You shouldn't think too much on what it might turn out. You'll just ruin the surprise."

"Surprise?" I tilted my head to emphasize my confusion.

"Yeah. On whatever life has in store for you." She stated. "Look, I have to run now."

"I didn't know you had it in you, to say something so girlish." I teased but she ignored my remark completely.

"As for the guy that saved your ass," She paused and stared at my mini skirt. "I think he deserves an apology. Just don't be such a baka and run off again. He won't eat you. If he does then I'll have to thank him for it." She nodded and waved a quick goodbye before turning away.

"It's not a big deal, right?" I asked myself turning the other way.

True, maybe I'm thinking too much about it. I remember I was so good in making friends that even if they didn't like me, I'd still win them over. Heck, I even made friends with Natsume! Then there's no problem about it. Intimacy would come later. Much much later. I'll just have to focus on what's in front of me first. I should've thought of this before!

Making friends. That's the first step! I'll have to deal with the other things when the time comes.

"Thanks Hotaru!" I yelled, hoping she would hear it even from afar. I couldn't even find her silhouette on the crowd but I was taken aback as my eyes fell on a different figure, the guy from earlier.

Perfect timing! I can start off with him. It's my chance to apologize. Brimming with newfound resolve, I ran up to him, hoping to patch things up.

"Hey wait up!"

He turned his head to my direction, his face fell when he recognized who i was.

"What do you want?" I can tell he wasn't happy from the slap I gave him. "Shouldn't you be checking up on Natsume?"

Surprised, I asked curiously, "How'd you know…" He seems to know me. I'd better drop it. "It's fine… Ruka said he'll take care of it."

"I heard he had to go to the clinic. Aren't you worried?"

Why is he continuously asking about Natsume? "I am, but I know he'll be fine. Are you a friend of Natsume's? Don't worry about him. It'll take more than a fever to take him down." He rolled his eyes and went on his way. The _not-a-complete-stranger_ sign lit up in my head. That perked me up. I ran up to his side and smiled. "I didn't know you guys are friends!"

His eyebrow arched up. "You're acting unusually friendly."

"Umm… about that," I was gathering up my courage to act normal, the way I usually make friends. "I'm really sorry. I wasn't thinking straight. I have trouble dealing with complete strangers. Had I known you were Natsume's friend, I wouldn't have acted the way I did."

"It's okay." He shrugged. "Sorry too, if I offended you in any way."

He's apologizing too? "Ah, but it's still not right to slap you!" I pressed on. I didn't know he was a nice person.

"Hmm… You're right. It's not, especially since you screamed out loud when you ran away. People actually though I sexually harassed you!" He frowned at the memory. "But you said sorry so I'll let it go. Just don't do it again."

"O-okay. I'll try not to." I mouthed sorry again. It did seem like me to scream and run away like that. I totally forgot about it.

"You look like you're not used to guys, but your outfit says otherwise." I grew conscious and eased up the creases in my jacket. I stared at him, urging him to continue what he was saying about my outfit. "It's like you're trying too hard."

Do I really? "I thought guys like these kinds of clothes?"

"I can tell you're not used to that outfit." He tilted his head to point my boots. "Nor the footwear. Try flats next time. I can totally tell from the way you walk." He chuckled at his own statement. I laughed dryly remembering the incident. "Look, I have to go somewhere…" He kept glancing at the watch on his wrist.

"Sure."

He looked around if it was safe to cross the street. "I have something important to do. Just go to where you're supposed to be… or somewhere else." He gestured his hand, shooing me away, and then walked across leaving me bewildered.

Now that went surprisingly well. I didn't even expect that we'd have a decent conversation after what happened. Maybe I was over complicating things. I smiled happily to myself. What progress!

The more important issue is to find something nice for Natsume. He's probably in a bad mood, especially if he's sick. I really should buy him something nice.

Its kind of rare though for Natsume to end up with a fever. He must have a lot on his mind. They said it was stress and lack of sleep. Was it because I called him so early in the morning? 'Nah. That can't be.' I laughed at the thought. That reminds me, the stupid jerk had yet to compliment my new look. And to think that I picked this with him in mind. I was expecting a 'I didn't know you could look this good' or 'You look cute in those clothes.' Leave it to Natsume to break my confidence in one full swing upon mentioning the size of my breasts.

Stupid jerk. Maybe I shouldn't buy him something nice after all. Despite all that Natsume-bashing, I was still walking to the station with a destination in mind.

Central town.

The shops here keeps getting cooler and cooler. From toys to jewelry, everything looks so sparkly! It's so fun to look at. I'm aready satisfied if I just go window shopping, although the store owners won't be happy to hear that. I stopped and glanced to the front of an old brick building with a nice boutique. It had a huge window showing all the cute clothes and colorful accessories. The contrast of colors from the old bricks and girly items made it more appealing. I felt a heart tug... I wanna go inside.

I shook my head, "No! I have to stay focused!" I said to myself aloud. How the heck am I supposed to buy something for my bestfriend if I can't control my urge to look around the shop? I took one last glance and my self control finally faded away.

"...a quick peek won't hurt. Will it?"

I playfully skipped inside and went straight to the counter with all the unique hair accessories. You can tell that the designs were hand-made. They had such a wonderful collection. The ribbons were bright and colorful, I could just eat them! There was a clip with a bunch or oranges that suited me too. Ah! This was heaven. Let's just hope its not too expensive.

"I think want to see the orange clip." I announced to a saleslady, pointing on the glass.

"Sure..." Then the lady smiled apologetically, "But just give me a second, someone will me taking over my shift now."

"Oh. No problem. I'll look around first." I answered back with a smile. She looked troubled then disappeared to the backroom. I guess I can wait for a bit, its not like I'm in a hurry or anything.

The scanned the racks for something nice and found it filled with the type of clothes I like. My eyes twinkled at the discovery and went through the stacks of clothes, secretly wishing that grandpa would increase my allowance.

I love the feel of new clothes, especially when I run my hands over the fabric. The designs weren't too flashy but not to plain as well. Some has lace here and there but it wasn't a lolita look. They organized the clothes by color and not by style, so you can pick a color first then check the designs they have for it. Now how come I only found this store just now? I hummed to myself and took a yellow top from the rack. I wonder if I'd look good in it.

"Where's the dressing room?" I asked aloud, hoping they can hear me from the back.

"Over there by the shoes." A male voice answered, then his figure emerged from the door.

I blinked my eyes in surprise when my eyes fell on his messy brown hair and the emerald eyes. My jaw hit the floor just now.

"Oh, shit."

Now it was his turn to curse out loud. Horror struck his face, his eyes were the size of watermelons.

I clasped my mouth shut holding my laughter in. Now I know why he was shooing me away earlier. A salmon pink polka-dotted button up shirt with an adorable bowtie and cute plushie on the front pocket, a guy would be caught dead wearing them. His outfit fits the atmosphere of the store but I can tell its very embarrassing for a guy to be part of it. He's not pleased that I caught him in "that".

He swallowed hard and removed all evidence of his embarrassment. He was pulling himself together trying not to show any openings.

"Are you gonna try that on or not?" He asked harshly, obviously changing the subject and saving what's left of his pride. I can see that he's planning to intimidate me and not mention anything about this again.

"I was just about to." I smiled mischieviously. Weak spot found.

"Then what are you standing around for?"

"Admiring the cute teddy bear on your pocket." His shoulders flinched. Point for Mikan.

"Its a dog."

"What difference does it make?" I snickered.

"If you're not going to buy anything, I suggest you should leave now before you disrupt our busin-"

A fist instantly hit him square on the face, sending him to the ground. A middle-aged woman gritted her teeth showing her fury at the boy on her feet.

"YOU ROTTEN LITTLE BRAT! How dare you talk like that to a customer! A teenage girl none the less!" Not contented with the punch she gave him, she kicked him hard and that kept him to the ground. She turned to me, her demeanor quickly changed. "I do apologize for his rudeness. You can try that on now if you'd like. I'm sorry again for the trouble."

"Ah, it's okay." I added, "I actually know him so please don't get mad. I didn't mean for him to get in trouble."

"No, its still not an excuse to act like. Business is business." Her tone was firm and I suddenly felt guilty from indirectly inflicting physical damage to the poor boy.

"Sorry about that." He managed to murmur an apology while his hand holding his sides. Thats probably gonna bruise. "You can try that on if you'd like. The dressing room is right there."

"T-thanks." I think he's gonna get yelled at by his boss. I made a quick getaway to the curtains by the back.

The moment I pulled the huge fabric aside, there were red walls with vintage high-heeled shoes glued to the sides acting as hooks for clothes. I was amazed at the sparkly details on the sides of the mirror too. Whoever the interior designer was, they deserved an award for all the cute stuff here. Everything looked so lively and even I looked good in their clothes.

"This one's a keeper." I smiled to myself then went straight to the cashier clutching the top in my hand. No way I'm ever letting that go.

He stood behind the counter, all forms of happiness wiped entirely off his face. I could tell from the gloomy atmosphere that the lady got him real good. I hope he didn't lose his job over this.

"Will you be taking that?" He said with his eyebrows all crunched up.

Smiling nervously, "Sorry for teasing you earlier." I apologized then handed him the money.

"Thank you very much for your purchase." It was like talking to a recording. He pulled an obviously very fake smile.

"I won't tell anybody about you working here, alright?" I assured him. Despite everything else, I would still like to be his friend. It seems like he was having a bad day and I for one would be the very cause of it. Before the glass door slammed shut, I heard him yell a quick thanks. I glanced back at the boy and saw him turn back to fixing the jewelry presentations. A huge smile was plastered across my face again. Looks like things weren't as bad as I thought they'd be.

That was a fun experience. I walked away swinging my arms merrily, like the way they did in the sound of music. Or even sesame street. All I know is I was happy, and it showed on my face.

Now back to reality. What was I supposed to do again?

I felt Natsume's fireball land on my head. Crap! I was supposed to buy him a get well present! Then all that was bright and sparkly became dull and gloomy. I only had a few bucks left on my wallet and that wasn't enough to buy a decent gift for the guy who has expensive tastes.

A dark cloud followed me around while I scanned the shops hoping to find something cheap and nice for my friend. Its not that I have to buy something for him. I just simply want to. Natsume may be a pompous jerk at times but he's still my friend who I can depend on. These are the rare occassions that I can get to show him my thoughtful side without being too out of place. I mean it would be so weird to give him gifts out of the blue. I don't want to miss this chance.

I tried hard to check every possible store, looking through shelves, making sure that I can afford it. Nothing I saw would suit the jerk's tastes. If only I had a few more money to spare, maybe I could get him a nice hat, a book or whatever male merchandise they have in stores.

Just when I thought all was lost, I saw the sign at the end of the road.

HOWALON

My face suddenly lit up like the sign did. Now thats something I can afford. I was focusing too much on material things, maybe he'd like some snacks... even if I know perfectly well that he's not an avid fan of sweets. Since he mostly has everything, I'll just settle for something that I like. And if that's the case, there's no reason why I shouldn't head over there right now.

It only took me a few minutes to buy the mouthwatering tasty treats. I'm not a 100% sure that he will like it but its a get well present and I hope he'll see that its the thought that counts.

"I hope my boyfriend likes this. He's sick today, so I thought this might cheer him up." I overheard a girl talking to her friend about the bag she's holding.

"Oh, you're such a sweetie." Her friend giggled.

Howalon for your boyfriend? To cheer him up? I looked at the box of Howalon I was carrying. The difference is that mine is for a boy who is my friend. I also want to cheer him up. Now isn't that a coincidence. I laughed bitterly at our similarities.

_Is this too much?_

The thought came to my mind. This kind of effort you put into getting a gift for a guy who happens to be sick... is it normal? I'm now flat broke and I have to walk home because of this. What more if its his birthday? Oh, I forgot! His birthday! I still don't have a clue what to get him. I really have to save up if I want to get him something really nice...

Heck! That's not the point.

You don't see people doing this sort of thing for their friends. This extreme I mean. Especially if they're guys. Well, Natsume is almost like a brother to me.. so I guess it should be normal? He's the only guy I feel comfortable around with, doing things together. I sometimes tag along when he goes on a trip somewhere with his family. I'm no outsider to them. We watch movies, play video games, eat dinner.

But isn't that like the definition of dating?

My face began to turn red at the possibility. "No! Its not!" I exclaimed, shaking my head vigorously. Besides, he's got tons of girls around him. Why would he settle for his ol' buddy?

Yeah.

Thats right.

That's true.

I could tell that I was convincing myself of not being girlfriend material for him. Let the topic be. No point in dwelling too much on that. Lets leave it at 'I care for him'. And I pretty much do. I don't deny that. And I still want to be by his side no matter what. Thats my place and I'm comfortable with it. Unless he doesn't want me to. I suddenly felt a pang at the idea of not being with him like I normally do now.

I've put an end to my nonsensical thoughts and stopped in front of Natsume's huge gate.

I'm now at his house and my feet were now aching from that very long walk. A very very long walk. I hope I didn't leave a trail of blood. That won't be pretty. It was already dark out. Thank God his house was just blocks away from Central Town or I would've died walking the lonely path and arrived in the morning.

I headed straight to his room where they said he should've been sleeping. I hope to surprise him with my present. I can't wait to see his face when I give it to him.

I pushed the door open slowly, inching my head in trying to check if he was awake. He was sitting in his desk, his back facing me. The door creaking gave me away and I was met by a scowl on his face.

"Where the hell have you been?" He growled at me, eyes were flaming red.

I stiffened at his greeting, wondering why he was so anrgy. "What do you mean?"

"I've been calling you for hours. Its dark out and your grandpa was looking all over for you!" He snapped, I took a step back.

Oh right! I didn't give grandpa a heads up. "I just went out to buy something..."

"And it took you hours?"

"Yeah coz-"

"And you didn't even bother looking at your phone. How smart of you." I haven't seen him this angry.

"It ran out of batteries!" I yelled back. "Why are you so mad?"

"Why am I so mad?" His eyes blazed with fury. "You're grandpa was worried because its already dark and you weren't home yet. No one knows where you went, your damn phone is of no use at all.. and you're too dumb enough to realize that its not good for idiots like you to go out by yourself in that!" He pointed frustratingly at my outfit. "Especially with some guy you barely know!"

"Huh?" Now I was confused. Was I with a guy just now? "What are you talking about?"

"Quit it! I know you want a boyfriend, I just didn't know you wanted one this bad!"

"Hold on! This doesn't make any sense!" I held my hands up, getting him to shut up.

"So any guy would just work for you now?" He said in a low voice. "Are you that desperate?"

"What are you saying?"

"You're just ready to jump into any guy willing to take you out on a pathetic excuse for a date."

Boy, that hit a nerve. "How dare you-"

"I can't believe you would just flaunt yourself like that, hoping to get picked up by losers!"

I slapped him hard on the face.

My hands trembling from the humiliating things he spat out that entire minute. Not to mention everyone in the house probably heard out conversation in full volume. How dare he say those things about me. I'm not that easy. They may call me an idiot but hearing him say those things... It was too much.

"You asshole." I growled, throwing him the box of howalon I had for him. "That was supposed to be a get well present but I hope you'd get stomachache from that."

I turned around, slamming the door behind me. I didn't care about the concerned looks the maids had. I simply walked past them and headed towards the door. My main concern was to get out of that house, go back home and lock myself there all week. I was just too upset to think about anything.

Why would he say those things to me? Why was he so mad? I didn't do anything wrong. Maybe I just didn't tell grandpa about my last minute trip to Central Town but thats not a valid reason to yell at me for acting like a slut.

Tears continued to fall. I was so mad because things didn't go as I planned. It was supposed to be a surprise. He'd be happy to recieve the present, then he'd give me a ride home and it'll all end peachy like it normally does. Now the present is ruined, I've been humiliated in the entire household, the worst part is hearing Natsume yell all those mean things to me.

I don't care if he's mad about something. He shouldn't take it out on me. My chest was filled with excessive weight, I found it harder to breathe. My eyes will be swelling so bad by morning. I guess I'll have an excuse to not go to school tomorrow.

Great. My feet hurt and I felt like walking barefoot. What more could happen?

Even if my vision was blurred with all the tears, I noticed a man was in front of me. His eyes were filled with surprise and worry.

"Hey, you're crying." It was the guy from earlier. The boy with messy brown hair.

"Stating the obvious, huh?" I could care less if there were snot coming out of my nose but I rubbed my eyes with the back of my palm.

He offered me his handkercheif and pulled me to the side, by the small playpark.

"Stay here." He commanded then took off somewhere.

I sat by the swings, feeling the cold air on my damp cheeks. My eyes began to hurt from all the crying. My feet began to ache, my legs were too tired, I was shivering from the cold and my grandpa still doesn't know where I am. What a nice granddaughter I am.

He quickly came back and I can tell he came from a nearby convenience store.

"Drink this." He handed me a cold drink and sat on the swing beside mine. "Try to cool your eyes for a bit. It'll help with the swelling."

"Thanks." My voice still sounded hoarse.

"I also bought these. I didn't know your size so don't complain if you look goofy in them." He took out a pair of slippers, my face brightened at the sight of them. "Your feet are probably sore by now."

"Thank you so much! You're a lifesaver!" I took off my boots and slipped them on. "Remind me never wear heels again."

"Will do." He laughed lightly.

I opened my cold drink and I noticed he bought one for himself too. He waited for me to calm down until my breathing went back to normal. I still felt weak but sitting down and trying to relax eased the pain in my chest just a little bit. I didn't say anything, I just sat there, staring into space trying to regroup myself from the damage I took. The chocolate helped a lot.

He turned to me and asked. "So are you feeling better?"

"Yeah. You've been a great help." I smiled back, thankful for all the help.

He stood up and nodded a quick goodbye. "Okay, so I'll head home now."

"Wait." I grabbed the end of his shirt, stopping him from going anywhere. "Will you be taking the train?" Time to throw my pride away.

"Um, yeah. Why?"

I stared at my feet, avoiding his eyes. "I'm actually broke. Could you help me get home? I promise I would pay you twice the amount-"

"Its fine." He urged me to follow him. "I can tell you had a rough day."

"Thanks."

"You already thanked me twice." He pointed out with a smile then we headed to the station.

The image of Natsume yelling at me still burned in my mind. It broke my heart so bad and I couldn't stop thinking about it. I was thankful this guy came when he did. I didn't have any money, and there's no way you'd get me back to Natsume's house. After all that drama, I don't want to owe him any favors. The jerk.

We rode the train in silence. It was comforting in its own way but I wondered why he was helping me out.

"Aren't you gonna ask why I was crying like that?" I broke the silence with an awkward question. Way to go Mikan.

He glaced at me with a blank expression on his face. "Should I?" He waited for me to answer but I didn't. "It wasn't any of my business so I thought I shouldn't pry." He stared at the window, looking at the night lights of the city.

"I had a fight with Natsume and things got ugly. I hate that jerk." I gritted my teeth at the memory. "He began to say mean things that didn't make any sense."

He didn't look at me so I went on.

"I don't know what happened. He just started yelling. It hurt a lot." I glanced at him, studying any changes in his expression. There wasn't. "Its the first time I saw him that angry."

He let out a huge sigh. "If you didn't do anything wrong, then he'll probably apologize when he cooled his head."

"I don't want to wait. I'm scared."

"If he's the kind of friend you think he is, then things will be okay. You've been friends for a long time, right?" He didn't tear his gaze from the window.

"Yeah."

"Then do you think it would stop because of this fight?"

"No, but-"

"If you don't want to wait, then you take the initiative." His face was stern. I couldn't argue with him. His tone was final so all I had to do was follow it. He had a point too.

The conversation ended. The ride went on smoothly. We were tired and I wanted to get home as quickly as possible. I'll call Natsume the minute I get home. Something must've happened that made him so angry. So I'll just be patient with him. I'm also worried why he acted the way he did. My mind drifted back to the look on Natsume's face when he was yelling at me. That wasn't normal.

My eyes fell on the guy in front of me. His green eyes were looking at something distant. I cleared my throat to get his attention. I had a couple of seconds left before I get out of the train.

"Why did you help me? You barely know me." That was the question bothering me all this time. He barely knew me but he still took time to help me out. It made me wonder why.

He turned to me, looking straight in my eyes and smiled weakly. "You just reminded me of my friend. You look a lot like her. Sorry if I made you feel uneasy."

The train stopped. I had to get out, but I continued to stare at his eyes. There was something melancholic about them. "Thanks again."

"Chris. You can call me Chris." He waved a casual goodbye.

I stepped outside the train doors just in time for it to close. "Thanks, Chris." I waved back.

Meeting him has been very strange but rewarding in its own way. I'll absolutely remember his name and thank him once more when we meet at school tomorrow.

I then turned around and began to walk home.

Chris' words echoed in my head. I should take the initative! In whatever circumstance, it is best to talk things through. This maybe a silly misunderstanding so I hope Natsume and I can be friends again. I hate every minute of today since I walked out of his house. I even threw him the Howalon! What a waste.

Still, I can't help but think of why he was so angry. He even said I went out with some guy. I know I went to Central Town by myself, there were no other guys. He should know better that I'm not the kind of girl who's used to socializing with the opposite sex. There are very few guys out there who I feel okay around with. That includes in on the very top of the list.

I miss Natsume.

I felt so bad hearing those cruel things from him but I still want to see him.

When I turned to the corner, I saw a shadow by our gate. And I distinctly knew who that shadow belongs to.

"Natsume." I spoke his name in the most affectionate voice I had.

His crimson eyes now had the warmth I always longed for.

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED…

* * *

Its 4am. I had the urge to write again. So, did you like it? Love it? Hate it? Hate the time I took to update it? Hahaha.. feel free to write a review, pm, or email. You'll never know, I might get some ideas from your comments. Not that I don't have an ending up my sleeve... just to add spice to the story.. :D


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